3:19 He Preached to the Spirits
in Prison
The Spirits in Prison. Clement of Alexandria: They did not see
his form, but they heard the sound of his voice. Adumbrations.
Teaching the Patriarchs. Tertullian: Christ descended into hell
in order to acquaint the patriarchs and prophets with his redeeming mission. On
the Soul 55.2.
Descent into Hell. Origen: If the passage about John the
Baptist not being worthy to untie Jesus’ shoes possesses a hidden meaning, we
ought not to pass over it. I think that the incarnation, when the Son of God
takes on flesh and bones, is one of the shoes, and the descent into hell is the
other. It is said in Psalm 16: “You will not leave my soul in hell.” And Peter,
in his general epistle, mentions Jesus’ descent into hell. Therefore the one
who can show the meaning of both sojourns in a worthy manner is able to unloose
Jesus’ shoes. Commentary on John 6.174–76.
Saving All Who Would Believe. Cyril of Alexandria: Here Peter answers
the question which some objectors have raised, namely, if the incarnation was
so beneficial, why was Christ not incarnated for such a long time, given that
he went to the spirits which were in prison and preached to them also? In order
to deliver all those who would believe, Christ taught those who were alive on
earth at the time of his incarnation, and these others acknowledged him when he
appeared to them in the lower regions, and thus they too benefited from his coming.
Going in his soul, he preached to those who were in hell, appearing to them as
one soul to other souls. When the gatekeepers of hell saw him, they fled; the
bronze gates were broken open, and the iron chains were undone. And the
only-begotten Son shouted with authority to the suffering souls, according to
the word of the new covenant, saying to those in chains: “Come out!” and to
those in darkness: “Be enlightened.” In other words, he preached to those who
were in hell also, so that he might save all those who would believe in him.
For both those who were alive on earth during the time of his incarnation and
those who were in hell had a chance to acknowledge him. The greater part of the
new covenant is beyond nature and tradition, so that while Christ was able to
preach to all those who were alive at the time of his appearing and those who
believed in him were blessed, so too he was able to liberate those in hell who
believed and acknowledged him, by his descent there. However, the souls of
those who practiced idolatry and outrageous ungodliness, as well as those who
were blinded by fleshly lusts, did not have the power to see him, and they were
not delivered. Catena.
Reversing the Mandate. Prudentius:
That the dead might know salvation,
who in limbo long had dwelt,
Into hell with love he entered;
to him yield the broken gates
As the bolts and massive hinges
fall asunder at his word.
Now the door of ready entrance,
but forbidding all return
Outward swings as bars are loosened
and sends forth the prisoned souls
By reversal of the mandate,
treading its threshold once more.
Hymns 9.70–75.
Forgiveness to Those Who
Believed. Severus of
Antioch: Forgiveness was not granted to everyone in hell, but only to those who
believed and acknowledged Christ. Those who cleansed themselves from evil by
doing good works while they were alive recognized him, for until he appeared in
the lower regions everyone, including those who had been educated in
righteousness, was bound by the chains of death and was awaiting his arrival
there, for the way to paradise was closed to them because of Adam’s sin.
Nevertheless, not everyone who was in the lower regions responded to Christ
when he went there, but only those who believed in him. Catena.
Whether Judas Believed. Ammonius: The academician Caesarius
asked me whether the chains of all the souls in hell were cut off when Christ
went down there or not. I said that they were. How can that be, he said. Was
Judas also set free? Yes, I said. For when the king of all is present, it is
not possible for the tyrant and his servant, I mean death, to retain their
captives any longer. So what did the Lord do? He died. He preached the way
which leads to eternal salvation on earth, and to all who were in hell, so that
they might believe in the Father and in him, who became man and died for us and
who went down into hell by the power of the Holy Spirit. And those who believed
he brought back with him, but those who did not believe, he cast back again
into their previous state.… Did he also preach to Judas and give him a chance
to repent? I said that I did not think so, for it is superfluous to preach to
someone who already knows the truth. Not only had Judas been instructed in the
mystery and accepted it, but he had even preached it to others and been
considered worthy to receive divine grace, so that he could drive out demons
and heal the sick. Later on he fell away by his own choice. Do not tell me that
he did evil unwillingly, for no Christian does that. Even Judas never blamed others
for his betrayal but recognized that it was his own fault. Catena. (James,
1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, ed. Gerald Bray [Ancient Christian Commentary on
Scripture; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2000], 107-8)
